Reflection Questions for a Disciple Coach: Building Block #3 – Discipleship Cycle

by Gary Reinecke | Aug 12, 2020 | Disciplemaking | 1 comment

Previously, I alluded to our Leadership Collective 2000 and presented 4 Basic Building Blocks of Disciplemaking – CLICK HERE. Since then I have been working with Glenn Spyksma to brainstorm reflection questions under each of the Disciple-Making Building Blocks (DMbb).  

Disciplemaking is a spiritual process with very real actionable steps.  I use the term, Disciple Coach for the disciplemaker because it is more descriptive of the role of the disciple who makes disciples in our world today.  Here are three assumptions that we make when we speak about disciplemaking. Here are three distinctions between Building Block #3 Have a discipleship cycle – and a process.

What is the difference between a “cycle” vs. a “process”?

1. A cycle is ongoing and continuous vs. a process – it has a clear start and end point.
2. A cycle prioritizes the need of the disciple vs. a process – it is linear with a pre-determined agenda.
3. A cycle relies on obedience vs. a process – it relies on content and acquiring knowledge.

Following are the reflection questions that you can use as a Disciple Coach to have a discipleship cycle (not a process)

Reflection Questions

DMbb #3 Have a discipleship cycle (not a process)

• Develop a comprehensive disciplemaking cycle that you believe in and will use:
  • Who have you shared your disciplemaking cycle with, in the last 90 days?
  • If you don’t have anyone that you have shared your disciplemaking cycle with recently, what is getting in the way?
  • What changes do you need to make to your disciplemaking cycle?
• Develop a comprehensive disciplemaking cycle that is reproducible and incorporates the three steps of multiplication:

• • How transferable is your cycle?
  • Who have you discipled that is using your cycle with other disciple coaches?
  • What elements need to be refined further or added to make your cycle more transferable?

3 resources to help you design your own disciplemaking cycle:

1. Watch Pastor Russ Sidders share his Disciplemaking Cycle – CLICK HERE.
2. Disciplemaking Storyboard – CLICK HERE.
3. Disciplemaking Coaching Guide – CLICK HERE.

The best way to use the 4 DMbb

1. Meet with a disciple coach or a group of disciple coaches.
2. Use the 4 DMbb as an assessment – help the disciple coach identify which one they need to focus on today
3. Depending on which of the four the disciple coach identifies, help them further reflect on the specific aspect they need to focus – see expanded list CLICK HERE

That will set the stage for a spiritual discernment process to determine the disciple coach’s next steps.  Use the reflection questions above, in addition to the questions we present under the remaining DMbb presented in future blogs to facilitate the conversation.  Help the disciple coach is to stay in motion by taking the next step in their journey to make disciples that make disciples.

Reflection Questions for a Disciple Coach: Building Block #2 – Relationships

by Gary Reinecke | Aug 5, 2020 | Disciplemaking | 0 comments

Previously, I alluded to our Leadership Collective 2000 and presented 4 Basic Building Blocks of Disciplemaking – CLICK HERE. Since then I have been working with Glenn Spyksma to brainstorm reflection questions under each of the Disciple-Making Building Blocks (DMbb).  

Disciplemaking is a spiritual process with very real actionable steps.  I use the term, Disciple Coach for the disciplemaker because it is more descriptive of the role of the disciple who makes disciples in our world today.  Here are three assumptions that we make when we speak about disciplemaking.

3 Problems that DMbb #2 Solves

1. Knowledge without relationships will not make disciples.
2. When you gravitate towards the local church for most of your relationships you will probably not make disciples.
3. If you disproportionately form relationships with disciples of Jesus who are outside the local church, you risk isolation from Christian community.

Following are the reflection questions that you can use as a Disciple Coach to form relationships with pre-Christian and Christians.

Reflection Questions

DMbb #2 Form relationships with non-Christians and Christians

• Relationships with non-Christians
  • Who are you forming redemptive relationships with to make disciples as a disciple coach? 
  • Using the following progression working from left to right, how would you classify your disciplemaking efforts:  Relationship — Friendship — Discipleship. 
  • What skills do you need to apply to move your relationship forward on the progression: listening, asking questions, prayer, other __________.
• Relationships with Christians
  • What Christians are you forming intentional relationships with to support your disciplemaking efforts as a disciple coach?
  • What is missing to help you stay on-mission with  your disciplemaking efforts as a disciple coach?
  • What step can you take to strengthen that relationship?  

The best way to use the 4 DMbb

1. Meet with a disciple coach or a group of disciple coaches.
2. Use the 4 DMbb as an assessment – help the disciple coach identify which one they need to focus on today
3. Depending on which of the four the disciple coach identifies, help them further reflect on the specific aspect they need to focus – see expanded list CLICK HERE

That will set the stage for a spiritual discernment process to determine the disciple coach’s next steps.  Use the reflection questions above, in addition to the questions we present under the remaining DMbb presented in future blogs to facilitate the conversation.  Help the disciple coach is to stay in motion by taking the next step in their journey to make disciples that make disciples.

4 Basic Building Blocks of Disciplemaking

by Gary Reinecke | Jul 15, 2020 | Disciplemaking | 2 comments

One of the exercises from our Leadership Collective, that supports the work of church planters and pastors, is for participants to design their disciplemaking process.  One of the participants is a regional leader for his denomination.  Glenn Spyksma (second from the right in the photo above) gives leadership and oversight to roughly 30 churches.

Therefore, he has the ability to view the disciplemaking process from two vantage points:

1. As the member of a local congregation
2. As the overseer of multiple congregations

He landed on a curious question a few month ago:

“What are the minimum tools a disciple needs to become a disciplemaker?”

Before I go further I should mention that he comes into the Leadership Collective with a business background as the former Vice President of a large, international corporation.  This is what Glenn came up with from his interactions with pastors and church planters who have robust disciplemaking ministries, in his r  ion.

Below are four developmental skill attributes which are common in some people that excel in discipleship.  In this case discipleship begins with you discipling a non-believer and culminates in that individual leading/mentoring/coach discipling a non-believer at the beginning of their journey.  One of the fundamental and scary shifts is the realization and facilitation of the priesthood of all believers.  Everyone “Go and make disciples”.

• Prayer for me
  • To understand Christ’s biblical foundation
  • To have a heart and mind for the lost that translate to compassion and action
  • To see who God is leading my way
• Prayer for those God is leading my way to be open to the touch of the Holy Spirit

• Without both it is difficult to have a discipleship cycle.
• Without one of the two it may be a ramp not a cycle.

• Develop a process that you believe in and will use
• “I do you watch” to “You do and I watch” to “You do and some else watches”

• With God
• With yourself with grace
• With those God has entrusted to you

MAKING DISCIPLES STORYBOARD

LEADERSHIP        MULTIPLICATION PATHWAY

We used the resources above as a framework – then each participant was asked to create their own disciplemaking process, draw it on a napkin and explain it in a 3-minute video.  It was exciting to hear common themes, distinctives and overall clarity as the leaders presented.  Can you explain your disciplemaking cycle in a clear, concise and simple way; so someone unfamiliar with your cycle can understand it,  in a matter of minutes?